Playing House

By Kathryn Drury. Photography by Alex Viarnes

Published: 2010.03.10 03:12 PM

After all the serious talk in this issue of HONOLULU about real estate value, equity, markets and investments, we think it’s time to infuse a little fun into the topic. After all, your house isn’t just a place to live, eat and sleep—you spend a lot of time there, so kick back and really enjoy your home. To this end, we went shopping, searching for products and ideas to make every room in your house more fun. Useful? Some, sure. Playful? All. So enjoy and, for gosh sakes, relax! You’re at home.

Living Room

Clockwise, from top: Par-tay with a great cocktail set. “Clink” napkins ($37), matching serving tray ($57), glasses ($17 each) and shaker ($19), from DeZign Home. You’ll actually look forward to rainy days with a great umbrella stand, like this one from Pacific Home ($66.70). Vibrant, mother-of-pearl pillows offer such an intriguing tactile surface, you can’t help but touch them. As shown, $39.95-$49.95, from Delano & Seymour’s Hawaiian House. Could any game be more perfect for procrastination? And this dart game won’t mess up your walls. Halex electronic dartboard ($34.99), from Sears.

Bedroom

Clockwise from top: Mix it up with eye-popping, trippy Missoni pillows. Large, $180, medium, $100 and small, $65, at Neiman Marcus. Let someone else do the vacuuming so that you can sleep in. The Roomba Discovery SE vacuum ($270), is a robotic, self-propelled cleaning machine that will even return to its docking station to recharge. At Brookstone. What’s more fun than a lamp that looks like some crazy sea creature? This lamp, by Cata, is made of “coco sticks.” It’s $107.50, from C.S. Wo. Spy on your neighbors—uh, we mean, check out the lunar phases—with the Carson Desktop Telescope. It’s $44.99 at Radio Shack.

Kitchen

Clockwise from top right: You’ll be a lean, mean, margarita-making machine with this mix and salt combo ($15), from Pier 1 Imports. Bam! Add a little spice to your kitchen with a red-hot, curvy chair. $177, at DeZign Home. Take chores less seriously with a squirrel dustpan set ($27), from The Compleat Kitchen. We have always eyed these in sushi restaurants. Well, we gave in to temptation with this incredibly lifelike sushi wall clock ($295) from Iida’s. Whip up two ice cream flavors at once (chocolate and peanut butter, for starters) with Cuisinart’s Flavor Duo in brushed stainless steel. $87, at Executive Chef.

Bathroom

Clockwise from top right: Get your groove on with a Shower Companion Stereo AM/FM & CD-MP3 player ($199.95). It be can used vertically or horizontally, and offers anti-skip technology. From The Shaper Image. Storage, boring. See-through “takeout” boxes, cool! $11.99 each, at City Mill. Tiles and windows become whimsical art projects with stick-on, jellylike Cool Gems. $5.99 to $9.99, at City Mill. Turn your shower into a soiree, with The Cocktail Party ($30), by Philosophy, a set of shampoo/conditioner/body washes in Margarita, Pina Colada and Melon Daiquiri scents. From Sephora.